Thoughts of a Prince
by 104Arianna
Summary: One-shots/mini-fics. Not all from Arthur's POV, despite title. Will be about every genre you can think of.no slash. UPDATED! NEXT: Merlin accidentally loses his rag with Gwaine, and the consequences are funny to everyone but the man himself :D
1. Court Room Attack

**Note:** Just a wee one shot. It's Arthur's POV from chapter 3 and 4 in **_Reclaiming Camelot_**_. _I got a comment saying how someone would love to read Arthur's reaction. So if you want to thank anyone, thank **hazelbunny**. If it were not for **hazelbunny** I would never have gotten the idea to do this. I would recommend reading the first 3 or 4 chapters before reading this, because you might get lost, but I suppose you could read this without the other story - it just makes more sense with it than without.

**Disclaimer: DO NOT OWN 'MERLIN' ****- **I wonder if there's any better way to let them know than just repeating it over and over because this is just getting ridiculous!

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><p>Another boring council meeting, not really discussing anything that was even important, and not really agreeing on anything either. Not unlike every other council meeting. Arthur got bored very easily, very fast. Thank goodness it was over, and the council were leaving. He could go down to the training grounds and work with his sword, or persuade Merlin to help him with jousting. He smiled at the thought, knowing exactly what Merlin's reaction would be.<p>

He heard the door open behind him, then close. He continued talking to Morgana, he had hardly talked to her recently, she seemed rather distant. The door had opened again, but this time was different. The door had been so forcefully pushed open that it hit the wall behind it. Turning, he was not entirely surprised to see Merlin standing there, he could be such an idiot some times. What did surprise him was the look of fear and worry on his face.

Then he understood why. The servant that was just over ten feet in front of him pulled out a dagger and was aiming it at him, but now he aimed it at Merlin. He watched, frozen, as Merlin jumped out of the way of the dagger. He moved forwards, about to go to his fallen friend, when the man turned and aimed a second dagger at, not Merlin this time, but himself.

He was fully prepared to jump out of its path, just as Merlin had done. Despite the speed at which this clash was happening, Arthur's instincts had already alerted him of the danger around him, but the man was less than eight feet away now. It would be too close to move in time.

He barely heard Merlin's voice as a vase smashed into the thug's head, forcing the dagger to take a different path.

Once the thug was taken care of, he looked to Merlin, just like everyone else in the room. The man who he owed his life to once again. '_This is getting a little repetitive'_ he thought to himself.

"Merlin…what do you think you were doing?" he asked, trying to hide the smile on his lips, and failing.

He heard Merlin's reply, and saw a similar smile on his face. He was about to move forwards, about to thank Merlin for saving his life - again - when the wind picked up. Not just wind, a twister, something he recognized immediately. Magic was being used.

He immediately recognized the women who emerged from the swirling air, and gripped his sword tighter.

Morgause.

There was something wrong, though. In stead of directing her attention to his father or himself, like he assumed she would do, her attention immediately went to Merlin. His servant, the bumbling idiot, Merlin.

She screamed at him, blamed him for her failings, and threatened finishing everything.

Then he saw her eyes turning in his direction, and he froze, like every body around him, despite the fire that grew in her palm. The fire that built up quickly, growing into a huge ball.

Suddenly it was hurtling in his direction. He could not help but react. His eyes closed, his grip on the sword tightening even more, ready for the exploding pain that would come from the contact with the fire. He knew that he did not have enough time to move, enough time to duck, enough time to escape the burning heat that was heading his way.

It never came.

Opening his eyes, he nearly recoiled in shock. It was dead in front of him, just hovering in mid-air, unmoving. Something to his right caught his attention. Morgause was not the only one with an arm reached out in the direction of the fire ball. There was another person, someone who was stopping the pain from coming, Someone who was protecting Arthur with magic. It was Merlin.

His arm was outstretched. His hand was shaking, as was Morgause's. He could tell that they were fighting for total control. The pain on both their faces showed it plainly enough. And his eyes. Merlin's eyes had changed from their usual blue to a brilliant gold. The gold consumed his eyes completely.

Merlin had magic.

Anger filled his mind. Merlin had lied to him, kept things from him, not trusted him. Merlin had betrayed him.

Merlin was focused on the fire ball, looking at it like he could move it with just his thoughts. His anger became momentarily distracted by the flying papers, falling paintings, moving furniture. The wind had picked up like it had before, but this was different. It was filling the entire room. A window shattered somewhere at the back of the room. The gale was getting stronger, forcing Arthur to the floor in order to protect himself from it's harshness, as well as the flying objects.

He looked from Morgause to Merlin. So much power was being used. It was incredible.

Merlin yelled, and he heard it loud, even over the storm that was happening. That was when the fire flew toward Morgause, not Arthur. Aiming for her, not him.

There was something else. A flash of red light went soaring across to Merlin. Something that made contact with his stomach. He couldn't focus on whatever magic Merlin had just conjured. He had to focus on Morgause. He had to focus on stopping her. The fire had missed her, but only just.

Almost as quickly and dramatically as she had arrived, he saw her vanish. She had left in anger…and was that fear?

He saw Merlin collapse, and saw the blood dripping from his nose. It had been almost too powerful, even for Merlin. He heard his father mumble something, but couldn't care less. Merlin had just saved them all, and with the one thing that Uther had despised most of all. Why had he done that? Magic was their enemy, and that made Merlin his enemy. Why was he saving them? He wanted an answer, but he was still angry at Merlin. Had he been lying to him this entire time? Then he remembered their second encounter with each other: _"I could take you apart with one blow", "I could take you apart with less than that". _That's what Merlin had meant, he had been referring to his magic. That meant that ever since he'd met him he had been lying.

His anger towards Merlin was building up, he couldn't believe it. The lies, the distrust, the betrayal. It was so un-Merlin, but here it all was in front of him.

Then he realized that the red light was still there. It lit up the room. The dagger in Merlin's stomach was glowing two different reds, one from the magic spell, the other from all the blood.

All of his anger seemed to vanish when he saw it. Merlin's face contorted with pain. His anger had been replaced with fear, fear for Merlin. He had just risked his own life in order to save his. This thought made it easier for him to think about why Merlin had not told him. Of course he hadn't told him! He was Uther's son! Although he knew he would have been angry at the beginning, he knew that he would not have revealed Merlin's secret if he had told him. How could Merlin ever be his enemy? He was the kindest person he had ever met. The very person who had just saved everyone's life, even if it were using magic. He had used magic for good, not to create pain or violence. He owed Merlin his life.

Then he heard his father order Merlin's arrest. He looked to Uther in astonishment. Had he even been in the room? How did he miss what Merlin had just done? He had saved their lives, even Uther himself. What was he thinking?

Looking back to Merlin, he wanted to go to him. Take him to Gaius. Despite the fact that Merlin had lied to him all this time, he didn't want to see him die.

He couldn't do that either. Merlin was disappearing. Vanishing into thin air like Morgause just had. By the time he had gotten to Merlin, he had gone. The guards had not tried to arrest him when Merlin's magic had started up, they had been too afraid. No doubt his father would think that he had run forward to arrest Merlin himself.

He thought of Merlin, and that dagger in his stomach. Suddenly becoming bored very easily, very fast, didn't seem like such a bad thing.

His father had quickly set up a search party, and sent them off to look for both Morgause and Merlin. Arthur was forbidden from searching at the moment, as the King knew that he would be affected by the news that his servant was a sorcerer. Uther had decided to give him time to let him come to terms with it, then he would send him to capture Merlin, and send him to his death for betraying Camelot.

Arthur still couldn't help thinking about how all this time Merlin had lied to him. He had lied to his face. He had learned magic, even though he knew it was forbidden. "_Why Merlin? Why?" _he thought.

He remembered how he had thought that Merlin had betrayed him.

Merlin had used magic, there was no denying that, but he had used it to save his life. Merlin may have went against the laws of Camelot, but he had just saved Arthur's life. Arthur always believed that magic was a form of evil, that there was no other way for it to be used, except in violence. Merlin had just proven otherwise. _'How many other times has he saved me?'_ Arthur wondered.

Everything now made sense. Every time Merlin had miraculously made his way out of a tight spot, or successfully distracted the guards when it had looked impossible - it made sense now. He thought back to all those times he looked back and saw Merlin cowering behind a tree or on the floor. Had he actually been using magic, keeping it hidden all this time? Protecting Arthur from the background?

How was it possible? He had always known magic to be evil.

No, he knew Merlin, and to call magic evil was to call Merlin evil. Arthur would bet his title, his life, that Merlin didn't have a single evil bone in his body.

That could mean only one thing. It was true when he had heard that magic was only a weapon, like a sword, not a force of evil and everything that he stood against. It was a choice. Merlin was more than his servant, he was his friend. His friend who had shown more loyalty than anyone he had ever met before. Someone he trusted with his life. And Merlin had chosen to stand with them, in the shadows. An ally in magic.

And his father was going to have him sentenced to death. He suddenly knew exactly what he had to do. This time, in stead of it falling on to Merlin's shoulders, Arthur was going to protect him. He was going to make sure that his father saw sense, he had to.

Magic was not all bad. If Merlin had magic, then he knew that magic could be used for good. He just hoped that Merlin would live to see the day that Uther admitted it. He had to admit it sooner or later. Merlin had just saved his life as well as Arthur's.

Arthur silently promised Merlin that things would change in Camelot, for the better.

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><p><strong>Thanks for reading! This was a one-shot from <em>'Reclaiming Camelot',<em> so if this caught your attention reading that would be a great idea - although this does kinda spoil one part of it :D Thankfully there's much more danger to come, and much more magic! :D**


	2. Courtyard Finale

**Hi everybody! I know it's been ages, but I've decided to add this, and thinking about adding another after it - what do you guys think?**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Merlin - although i am watching the second episode as i write this sentence! omg! **

**Anyone notice how the beginning of the intro has changed? Instead of the dragon saying that Camelot stands on the shoulder of a young boy, he says young man! :D**

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><p>Arthur saw Merlin start to stand up from the rubble and walk forwards towards where he had previously been standing. The blow that Morgause had dealt hadn't seen to faze him in the slightest. It only showed how powerful Merlin really was, and it shocked Arthur to think that he had never seen it before. Merlin was braver than he had ever given him credit to be. He looked over to the other side and saw Morgause starring at Merlin in shock – her attempts to hide it failing.<p>

When Morgause finally spoke, threatening to finish the young warlock's life, the surprise was clearly in her voice, unmasked. Merlin quickly replied, assuring her that if he were to die, he would not be the only one. He saw the look in Merlin's eyes. He wasn't going to give up. He could tell that Merlin wanted to finish this, and he was a little unnerved at the look that Merlin was giving Morgause – thankful that he wasn't on the receiving end of it.

Morgause's magic flew at Merlin, and he simply raised his hand, not even using words to protect himself from the flames, and a blue barrier appeared between Merlin and the blaze. Through the fire, Arthur could see that Merlin's eyes were almost the same colour as the flames themselves.

Arthur couldn't help but stare in shock at the amount of power that Merlin was using, fighting off the flames entirely, and forcing them to attack Morgause instead, who was thrown to the ground. He wanted to walk over to Merlin when he saw the blood drip from the warlock's nose and collapse to his knees, but saw that Morgause was beginning to stand up again. Merlin was soon doing the same, and they stood ready for another attack. He knew that Merlin had this, he had to. After all, he couldn't die, it was _Merlin_ for heaven's sake – _Merlin_ doesn't get that hurt, he doesn't die.

After more words were shared, Arthur hardly had enough time to see the lightning fly across the courtyard and strike at Morgause, before it was gone again. Regaining her balance, Arthur saw that Morgause had a badly bleeding cut across her cheek, despite how she had tried to shield herself.

Merlin's next words shocked Arthur – he was offering Morgause a chance at living, a chance to leave and never return. A small smile graced Arthur's lips, realizing that he didn't really have a reason to be shocked. Just because Merlin had magic, it didn't change who he was. He was still the same old Merlin – merciful, and one of the kindest people alive. His magic wouldn't change that. What didn't shock Arthur was how Morgause laughed at Merlin's offer.

"You're no match for me, Morgause, even if I am weakened by your curse" Merlin replied to Morgause's challenge.

She threw her head back and laughed rather eccentrically, making Arthur recognize how he would have been doing the exact same thing if it wasn't such a serious situation. He hated standing there, watching everything happening. But he knew that if he tried to get involved, it would only make things worse. Morgause could easily use her magic to stop him, and then Merlin would stop concentrating on her, and would pay more attention to him instead. He would stop defending himself, and try to protect Arthur – '_the idiot has no self-preservation' _Arthur thought.

He saw a small smile on Merlin's face when Merlin seemed to realize that Morgause didn't know who Merlin really was – whatever that meant. He saw Morgause narrow her eyes. It was clear that she didn't think Merlin a real threat, but he had captured her interest. Merlin's confidence was growing, and she wanted to know what it was he knew. Arthur had to admit; even he wanted to know what it was that was making the boy be so reckless.

The moment Merlin said the name 'Emrys', he saw Morgause freeze, her eyes widened in shock and…was that fear? She backed away slightly, and then seemed to realize her mistake. She quickly collected herself, and stood up straight, glaring at Merlin.

"You cannot be him!" Morgause started to shout, denying what Merlin had said.

Arthur could hear the hesitation and uncertainty in her voice, indicating that she couldn't honestly tell if he was lying to buy time, or was actually telling the truth. '_Who's Emrys?'_ Arthur thought. He heard Morgause, as if she had read his mind, say that 'Emrys' was the greatest warlock that would ever exist, extremely powerful. And then he realized why she was so scared, so fearful of Merlin. If he truly was this 'Emrys' then he would he far more powerful than her, explaining his ability to withstand the curse as long as he had.

Merlin told Morgause that he had been born with magic, but he thought that was impossible. Perhaps that was the reason as to why 'Emrys' was so powerful, after all Morgause had had to learn magic, Merlin could use it instinctively without having to study it.

The tall column of fire broke Arthur away from his thoughts, making him and the two knights beside him jump back in surprise. Doing so, he saw that his father and Morgana had come from the hall, and were coming down the stairs to stand beside him. The column of fire exploded when Morgana had suddenly stepped forwards and shouted words that were completely foreign to Arthur. Any doubt of Morgana having magic was wiped away, and he saw Merlin smile his thanks to Morgana.

This time, Arthur saw the lightning hit Morgause's shield, and didn't stop there, trying to break through it. Green flames were shot towards Merlin through the shield, and he easily waved them away with his free hand, his eyes turning a brighter shade of gold. But the next time the green fire flew at Merlin, it hit him, forcing him to cry out in pain. He tried to go forwards, but Arthur was held back by his father. Merlin hadn't stopped the lightning, still trying to get through the shield to get to Morgause. The lightning was getting brighter, making it harder to see the shield that Morgause held up, but it was obviously still there. But not for long.

When the shield finally cracked, he saw Merlin force the magic forwards, Morgause falling backwards. When the lightning didn't stop, but consumed Morgause entirely, he knew that Merlin was losing control again. He saw Merlin's face, the pain that was there showed how he wanted to, but couldn't. The light was starting to envelope the warlock too, turning as gold as his eyes. The light was too bright to keep looking at it now, and Arthur had to hold his hand up to protect his eyes.

Merlin had now completely disappeared, and he couldn't help but worry. '_Come on, Merlin, just come on, be finished, stop this' _Arthur wanted to scream, but found his voice wouldn't obey, all he could do was watch as Morgause screamed over the wind and fire, debris flying here and there, and Merlin glowing as bright and as colourful as the lightning.

Just when Arthur was about to move forward, his legs finally obeying him, the light disappeared. Morgause had gone, presumably dead. Merlin just stood there with his arm outstretched. The wind had stopped, the debris had fallen, and there was nothing but the silence that filled the courtyard. Arthur saw the light leave Merlin's eyes, and knew was what about to happen. He stood in shock as Merlin's body fell to the ground, his eyes shutting on the way. The pain had vanished from Merlin's face, but was replaced by nothing. Merlin just lay there, and Arthur ran over to his side, hoping that he was still alive. He couldn't die. He just couldn't.

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><p><strong>Watching the second episode right now, i am literally as high as a kite! :D<strong>

**Xx**


	3. Please Wake Up

**Told you I was going to add another chapter! :D**

**Again, do not own Merlin. How freaking awesome was Merlin! But omg! the ending! I'm not going to say anything in case someone reading hasn't seen it yet, but omg! **

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><p>Arthur fell down at Merlin's side.<p>

'_Please don't be dead…'_ Arthur couldn't help but think.

But the moment he knelt down by Merlin, he realized that the warlock was no longer breathing. There was only barely a pulse present in the boy's neck. Thankfully, Lancelot had been smart enough to run off and fetch Gaius. He saw his father staring in shock – he had just seen magic destroy an enemy of Camelot, and Morgana had just used magic.

Arthur felt a little hope in his chest, that maybe the whole situation would make him think better of magic and that maybe Merlin could be free, without fear of being hunted. Because Merlin wouldn't die…he couldn't.

Arthur turned back to look at the young boy, who had gone very pale and still, unnaturally still. It would have been better if he had looked like he was sleeping, but he didn't. He looked as if he were already dead.

Gaius soon arrived and checked Merlin's pulse himself. When he heard that his father had heard of who Emrys was, and known how powerful he was foretold to be, he was shocked. Of all the people, he hadn't expected his own father, Uther Pendragon to have known anything about him. Morgana looked like she knew who 'Emrys' was too, but he didn't care at that moment. All that mattered was waking Merlin up.

When Gaius said those words….

"I can't do anything…"

It had cut at him like a knife. No, this wasn't possible. This was Merlin they were talking about. Goofy, clumsy, kind-hearted, idiotic Merlin, he couldn't just die, not after everything that they had been through.

He realized how Merlin had saved Camelot knowing that it was going to end like this. The curse that Morgause had put on him…Merlin knew that it would kill him in the end. He knew that using his magic would only speed up the process, yet he had done it anyway. He had gone through with it, without even thinking about himself – every bit the Merlin that Arthur knew.

Then Gaius dropped Merlin's arm back to the ground, and hung his head, and before he even said the words he knew what he was about to say. He couldn't believe it. Merlin was gone.

The druids around them were holding flames in their hands, in honour of Merlin, but that wasn't where Arthur saw the only light coming from. There was suddenly a soft white light glowing around Merlin, and it was spreading. It covered everything and everyone, reaching all of those who were injured. The pain in his leg receded, and Gwen was waking up, with Morgana rushing to her side to hug her. But as the light began to die away, Arthur realized that Merlin was still very still, and very pale. Arthur knew that it was the last thing he had been able to do. Somehow, the magic within Merlin knew that Merlin wanted everyone to be healed, and it had done just that.

He couldn't find his voice. He wanted to call at Merlin, order him to come back. He wouldn't allow him to die, not yet, it wasn't his time.

He needed Merlin to stay alive. He hadn't even had time to shock Merlin when he apologized for shouting at him – which he had pretty much planned the moment after he had done it, if it weren't for said warlock running off. He had ran off thinking that Arthur was angry at him, that he had hated him – when nothing could be further from the truth. Sure they had shared a few words after the whole great hall event, but he still had not told Merlin that he didn't hate him. How could he? But now he wasn't going to get the chance to tell him any of that.

Merlin wasn't going to come back.

And when another light shone, Arthur knew it wasn't coming from Merlin before he had even located its source. Because it couldn't be coming from Merlin, not anymore. And he was proven correct when he saw it shinning about ten feet away.

What he saw coming from the light however, was enough to create a small part of hope for the warlock, for his friend.

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><p><strong>And I'm not revealing anymore, because it will definitely ruin 'Reclaiming Camelot'. I like to think the first three chapters of "Thoughts of a Prince" as a preview to that story so if you want to know what happened next, you're going to have to read that.<strong>


	4. Kitchen Embarrassment

**Okay, this is basically the first real one-shot that has technically nothing to do with 'Reclaiming Camelot', considering not all of them will make sense with how the story ended - spoilers, so I'm not saying in case you've not read. If you ever want me to do a sequel to one of these one-shots, then just ask - but I won't really think much about doing it if only one person tells me that they would be interested in a sequel, so please tell me if you are!**

**Hope it's good! :D**

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><p>He was late. Really late.<p>

Merlin knew that it was normal for him to be late in delivering Arthur's breakfast, even Arthur knew to expect it, but this was a completely different matter.

When Merlin had entered the kitchens trying to spot Arthur's breakfast, he was eventually forced into a seat in the corner by Mary, the head cook.

"You are much too thin, dearie. You need to eat more!" She complained.

Merlin tried to argue that he was already late, but she was having none of it. She couldn't see why Arthur would mind if he was late, especially since he had had no breakfast himself that morning. She had forced him onto the seat, and stopped him from leaving; making sure that he ate every bite of food that she placed in front of him. Merlin felt like he was going to explode by the end.

"Mary, I can't eat all of this, please, I'm really late, and I need to get going. Arthur's going to be really mad this time!" Merlin disputed.

"He can wait a little longer, dear. You'll get his breakfast to him eventually. Breakfast is the most important meal of the day, I will not have you starting the day without it".

"But Mary-".

"No 'but's' Merlin, you're eating it. Why Arthur cannot give you longer in the morning to eat your own breakfast, I've no idea-".

"Mary-?"

"It's as if he doesn't care about your health! He can be such a prat sometimes. Honestly, that boy-".

"Mary-".

"Will he ever learn that there are other people who need breakfast in the morning other than himself?"

"MARY!"

"What is it, dear? You can't be finished already?" She said, turning to look at Merlin again. She knew what he was trying to tell her by the look in his eyes. "He's behind me, isn't he?" she whispered.

Merlin nodded cautiously.

Mary turned to look in the direction of the doorway, and found Arthur leaning against the doorframe with his arms crossed and his eyebrows raised. Merlin could only just see the smile that he was trying to keep off his face, which Mary obviously couldn't.

"My L-Lord, I do apologize-I um…" Mary started, but couldn't finish.

Before she knew it there was a burst of laughter from behind her.

Turning, she saw Merlin almost doubling over in laughter, clutching his side. Then another blast of laughter from the doorway told her that the Prince was in much the same state as his manservant.

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><p><strong>Haven't actually responded to reviews before for this - considering there's not been many - so I'll start now.<strong>

**Jade W - **Thanks! Really great to hear you like it :D

**Emachinescat - **thanks! :D

**animeloveramy - **thanks! Hope you liked the other story :D

**D4rkenedSkies - **thanks! Don't worry, I don't take any offence, it's good to hear what everyone thinks, whether it's bad or good :) Would you prefer more talking? Or about even? Thanks for reviewing! :D

**Xx**


	5. Healing

**I was asked if I planned on doing a one-shot concerning the end of 'Reclaiming Camelot' and thought 'why not!'. ****So if you haven't read it and you intend to, I suggest that you don't read this, because it will seriously spoil the ending. SPOILERS!**

**Once again, I do not own Merlin, and any mistakes found are completely my own. ****This might be a little OOC for a few characters, but just go with it. I've never really been good at understanding Uther, to be honest.**

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><p>He knew that Merlin would be fine, but considering that his manservant and unofficial friend had not woken up yet, he was still inclined to worry – not that he would admit it.<p>

Ever since Merlin had been brought up to his room, he sat by his bedside, waiting for him to wake up. Finally accepting that Arthur was not leaving, Gaius had kindly offered him one of the chairs that he could lean back in. It was definitely better than the stool that Arthur had previously been using. At least now he could be comfortable.

Merlin had been unconscious for nearly a day since he had been healed by the druid girl. During that time, Merlin had had many visitors, including the knights and the druids. But none were more shocking to Arthur than his own father. King Uther himself had come to see how the young boy had been doing, on the second day of Merlin's unconscious state.

Uther told Arthur that he was changing the laws in light of the information concerning Merlin being Emrys. That reminded Arthur: who was this Emrys? Together, Gaius and Uther explained the prophecies about the greatest warlock that there would ever be, and the Once and Future King.

"How do you know about this, Father? You hate magic" Arthur finally asked.

"I think of magic as an enemy, yes. But it is better to know everything about your enemy than nothing at all. I asked Gaius a long time ago about a name – Emrys. I had heard a couple of sorcerers mention the name, and was curious as to who this great warlock was, thinking that he would be a threat. But according to the prophecies, he would never use magic to harm Camelot or its people. Only to help them, in any way possible. I wasn't willing to believe it until he showed us all that the prophecies were true" Uther explained.

After that, Uther knew that Merlin would only ever protect Arthur. He had seen how close the two boys were, and despite the fact that Merlin was a servant, he was happy to see that Arthur had someone who was friends with him because they wanted to be, not because of the fact that he was a Prince. He remembered how those two were always insulting each other, and at first had been angered by how informal their relationship was. But Merlin's behaviour and personality had grown on him; especially as he saw how much good it had done Arthur. He was a lot more caring than he used to be, and thought of others before himself. He saw that he would definitely make a great King one day.

Gaius said that it was likely he would be asleep for a good few days more, but despite this he still kept thinking about what would happen if he never woke up.

He'd only just gotten Merlin back, he wasn't about to lose him again.

Uther had gotten up to leave, and Gaius followed him to the door. Arthur looked back to Merlin, seeing him a little less pale than what he had been when he had collapsed, but was still paler than his usual self. It unnerved him seeing Merlin like this – Merlin never got this injured or hurt. Sure, he had had a few nicks in a sword fight – the idiot couldn't use a sword to save himself – but he never got this hurt.

"Arthur…" came Gaius' voice, as he entered the room.

"What is it?" Arthur replied, but not in a harsh tone.

"Sire, you must rest. You haven't slept or eaten since bringing Merlin here. He wouldn't want you making yourself ill over this, my Lord" Gaius reminded him.

"I cannot leave him, Gaius…it's…" he started, but couldn't finish. He wasn't really the type to show or admit to certain feelings; usually he would cover them up when he was talking to Merlin with a well-timed insult.

"It is not your fault, my Lord" came Gaius' voice, as if hearing his thoughts.

"It's because of me that he did all of that, Gaius. He was protecting me".

"He was protecting you because he wanted to, not because he had to" Gaius replied, making Arthur wonder if he was reading his mind again.

When he had heard that this 'Emrys' was destined to protect Arthur, he started thinking that maybe Merlin was only around so that he could fulfil his job. Maybe if it weren't for the whole destiny thing, Merlin would have left Camelot a long time ago. He remembered how Merlin had once told him that he had left Ealdor to find somewhere that he would fit in, and how he wasn't sure if Camelot was the place that he could.

It was ridiculous to Arthur. Merlin wouldn't fit in anywhere else. Camelot was his home.

"Merlin nearly got himself killed. He shouldn't have done any of that" Arthur finally replied.

"He was doing it to protect Camelot, and to protect you. Merlin would do anything to help his friends, and he thinks of you as one of them".

"But why? I'm always insulting him, and giving him all these ridiculous jobs to do. Why would he think of me as a friend when I'm like that?" Arthur didn't mean to speak out loud, but had gotten caught up in Gaius' words that he forgot what he was doing.

"Because he knows that despite all of that, you would do the same for him. Remember when he first came here? You two had barely known each other for more than a few months, and yet you went, against your father's wishes, to collect the cure for him when he was poisoned. Merlin also told me about what happened at the Labyrinth. You drank what you believed to be poison, so that Merlin could live. He knows that if he ever needed your help, you would give it to him" Gaius explained. "Besides, doesn't he insult you all the time as well?"

That made Arthur smile. He knew that all the insults were just for fun, that they were never serious. And Merlin would never show any respect, unless that person had earned it form him. At the beginning, he recognised the fact that he insulted him because he didn't like him. But now it was for a different reason.

Soon after, Gaius left, needing to collect more herbs for a remedy that Merlin would need to take when he woke up. Arthur stayed by Merlin's side, but knew that Gaius was right – he needed to rest. Instead of leaving and actually going to bed, like he knew he probably should, he lay back in the chair and closed his eyes, letting sleep claim him.

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><p>It seemed like only a few minutes later that he heard his name being called, but the crick in his neck from sleeping in the chair definitely told him otherwise. That and the fact that he could barely open his eyes – he was still very tired..<p>

As he immediately jumped up out of the chair, he gave some half-mumbled, half-understandable words, and heard a chuckle coming from the bed.

Before he knew what he was doing, he was hugging Merlin – he was so happy to finally see that he was awake!

When Merlin's goofy grin came back into place, he knew for definite that Merlin hadn't changed. Merlin wasn't there because he needed to be, he was there because he wanted to be.

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><p><strong>Hope you liked it! <strong>**Please tell me what you think - I really don't mind if it's criticism :D**

**Xx**


	6. Wish Upon A Star

**This one is absolutely tiny, but it just had to be done while it was floating around my mind. :D**

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><p>Merlin lay beside on the bank next to the lake. He held onto Freya's hand as they lay there watching the sky, and an occasional shooting star. The sky above was littered with stars.<p>

"It's beautiful" He heard Freya say softly.

He turned his head slightly, looking at her face.

She was looking up in wonder at the stars, her eyes widening when the shooting star went by.

"You know, you're meant to make a wish when there's a shooting star going by" Merlin said.

Freya turned to face Merlin, and smiled.

"Alright then" She started, looking back up at the star and closing her eyes. "I wish we could be together forever".

Before she had time to open her eyes, Merlin leaned over and kissed her, taking her slightly by surprise.

She smiled as she kissed him back.

Leaning back Merlin replied, "That's a wish I promise to make true", smiling at the Lady of the Lake.

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><p><strong>Thanks for reading!<strong>


	7. Bandit Attack I

**This is going to be a two-part fic I think (could be three, but there are definitely going to be at least two).**

**Again, do not own. Mistakes are mine - I'm crazy cause I don't have a beta! But I've never really gotten any reviews saying that I've made a mistake somewhere, so I guess I might not need one - yet :D**

**Anyway, here's the next one :)**

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><p>Merlin was riding near the back of the group, while Arthur rode at the front. Usually Merlin would be right beside Arthur the entire trip, annoying Arthur more than the Prince thought possible. But today Merlin felt like he needed to distance himself. Another attack, only a couple of days ago, of the magical kind had made Merlin start thinking that maybe Arthur would never accept him for who he was. Uther had finally died, after long months of sitting in his chambers almost a dead shell, another magical attack on Camelot had ended in the Kind losing his life. The Dragon had been right. Losing his father to magic had definitely hardened his heart when it came to magic.<p>

When Merlin had spoken to Arthur after the whole event, he could have sworn that Arthur was almost channelling Uther. He had now lost both his parents to magic. He declared his complete hatred of anything magical, that he would never let magic harm another person again. Merlin felt as if all his hope had been destroyed, Arthur's words had cut like a knife. He had said the words with such hatred and disgust in his voice.

Merlin was still thinking over what Arthur had said, he couldn't help it. But it had kept him distracted the entire journey. All they were doing was going hunting, but Arthur had seen that something was bothering Merlin. But because Merlin was keeping to the back of the group, Arthur hadn't had a chance to question him about it. Merlin knew that Arthur had noticed and had purposely migrated to the back, searching out silently with his magic for any magical threat.

Merlin suddenly froze in his seat, his horse coming to a stop. Lancelot and Gwaine – who were riding beside him, had stopped realizing that something was up. Arthur, Elyan, Percival and Leon were riding a little further in front, and hadn't realized.

Merlin knew that something was wrong. And true to his instincts, a few seconds later, men ran out of the trees and towards them.

He saw Arthur immediately jump down from his horse, grabbing his sword and defending himself against the first one that reached him. The other knights soon followed him, fighting back against the bandits.

Merlin got off his horse, and headed to where Arthur would be – his horse running off in the other direction.

Then he realized that there was something different about these bandits. Looking around, he saw two of them wave their hands in Elyan and Leon's direction, muttering a few words. A moment later and they were flying through the air and landing back on the ground with a thud, leaving them unconscious.

This had suddenly gotten serious. Arthur and the knights could easily take care of bandits, but sorcerers?

Arthur was now fighting two men at the same time, while Lancelot, Gwaine and Percival were attempting to push back at least five others. Thankfully, the two that had attacked Leon and Elyan had left them unconscious, not bothering to finish them off, but now they were helping the others attack the rest of the knights.

When one of the men raised his palm in Arthur's direction, Merlin was about to call out his name to warn him, but he was too late. Arthur was thrown backwards and starting rolling down the hill that was on the other side of the road.

"ARTHUR!"

Without thinking, Merlin ran forward, after the two men that were now heading down the small hill, following the Prince. The others had noticed what had happened, but had no chance to do anything, they were still fighting off the others.

Merlin ran down the hill, and saw Arthur trying to stand up again. One of the sorcerers forced him back to the ground with magic, while the other raised his sword, ready to let it fall straight into the Prince.

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><p>Arthur heard Merlin call his name, but had no chance to look around to find his friend. He saw the gold shimmer in the bandits' eyes, and felt himself being lifted off the ground. Coming back to earth, he stopped rolling at the bottom of the hill, and saw that the two men had followed him down. They weren't going to stop until they had killed him.<p>

He had lost his sword in the fall, and as he looked around for it, he spotted it six feet away from him. He tried to get back up, he needed to get his sword, but found himself being forced back. They were using magic to hold him in place. He saw the sword of the second man start to swing downwards, towards his neck. Suddenly it wasn't just the magic freezing him in place.

"NO!" he heard someone yell.

Before he could see who it was that was yelling, the thug's sword flew to the other side of the small clearing and the two men were being sent forcefully backwards into the trees, knocking them unconscious. It was magic, but he had heard no incantations, just the rush of the wind as it picked them up and threw them away from him, saving his life.

As he sat up, using his elbow's for balance, he looked around and saw Merlin standing at the bottom of the hill. His arm was outstretched. It was quick, but he had seen it - the gold in Merlin's eyes. Merlin had used magic.

'Impossible' Arthur thought his mouth opening in shock, and his eyes wide. He saw Merlin standing silent, he wasn't even going to deny it, he couldn't.

_Merlin_ had used _magic._

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><p><strong>eek! don't kill me! I'm sorry about the cliffhanger, but the next part should be up real soon! <strong>

**In the mean time, what did you think?**

**Xx**


	8. Bandit Attack II

**Again: I don't own 'Merlin', in any way, shape or form! This is the second part to the last chapter, only one more to go now. **

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><p><strong>Last Time...<strong>

'_Impossible_'_ Arthur thought his mouth opening in shock, and his eyes wide._

_ He saw Merlin standing silent, he wasn't even going to deny it, he couldn't._

_Merlin had used magic._

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><p><strong>Now...<strong>

Merlin threw his hand up and with a quick wave; the two sorcerers were on the other side of the clearing.

Just as the gold from his iris' was dying away, he saw Arthur turn and look towards him. He immediately knew that Arthur had seen what had happened. There was no way that he could get Arthur to believe that he had no part in this, not this time.

This time he had seen the magic for himself.

He didn't move, he couldn't. For a moment, his heart had stopped, and then it was suddenly racing, nonstop. He had a horrible feeling in the pit of his stomach. Merlin slowly lowered his arm as Arthur continued to stare wide-eyed at him, not saying a word.

'_Please…please don't hate me…" _He thought, unsure of what to do or say.

He was completely unprepared for something like this to happen. He had always planned on telling Arthur, but not until he had become King, not until he had managed to get Arthur to see how magic could be used for good as well as bad. This Arthur, the one standing in front of him, hated magic more than anything, especially after the most recent attack, which ended up causing his own father's death. He had told Merlin that the whole event had reminded him of how evil magic really was, and that he should never ever trust it.

"_Magic__ is pure evil. I will never lose sight of that again" _had been Arthur's words. He had no idea how much those words had cut at Merlin. Earlier that day the young warlock was so close to willingly revealing his secret to Arthur, and then he made him realize that he never could. Not if that was what Arthur believed.

And yet Arthur had found out anyway, now staring in complete shock at his manservant.

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><p>When Arthur started getting slowly up, not taking his eyes of Merlin, he still didn't move. They just stood there staring at each other.<p>

Arthur felt himself standing up, despite how suddenly he felt as if he were going to pass out.

He stared at Merlin, expecting him to say something, anything – perhaps defend himself. But he didn't. He just stood there, getting paler every second that the silence passed.

He couldn't stand it for much longer - the silence. Merlin had betrayed him. He was a sorcerer, that made him evil, an enemy of Camelot. Magic was the reason he had lost his parents. His father had taught him all about the evil of magic, and he knew that Uther had been right.

_'Magic is evil, not to be trusted' _he thought.

Merlin had been lying to him all this time. In that one moment, he felt nothing but the anger and betrayal, and hate - something he never thought he would come to associate with Merlin. He had to stop staring at Merlin, the traitor. The one person that he thought he could trust above all others. He finally looked away, and saw the two men that nearly killed him lying unconscious under the trees. He had such power, powerful enough to simply wave in their direction to knock them out and not have to utter a word. How had Merlin hidden that power for so long?What else had Merlin lied to him about?

Had Merlin ever used magic on him? The thought made him angrier than before. Merlin had magic, and magic wasn't to be trusted, it would only try to kill him and everyone else.

_'But didn't he just save your life...?' _a voice somewhere in the back of his mind thought.

It made no sense. He couldn't believe that Merlin was a sorcerer, or that he was evil - he had just saved his life, for heavens sake. Evil and Merlin were two things that he couldn't put together. It all seemed to make sense: all the falling branches; sudden fires; near escapes; miraculous recoveries. But Merlin had _magic_. If someone had told him earlier that day that he would see Merlin perform magic, he would have laughed at them.

Continuing with his thoughts, he walked a few steps in front of him and picked up his sword.

"Arthur…" Merlin said, seeing Arthur pick up the sword. He had said it quietly, not wanting to provoke the Prince into doing something. When he had picked up the sword, Merlin had visibly flinched, letting Arthur know what it was Merlin was thinking. Turning away, Arthur thought about how Merlin had sounded when he spoke. He had sounded scared - scared of _him_. _'He thinks I'm going to kill him' _Arthur thought, knowing that that was the thing that his father would have expected him to do were he there. He knew that magic could not be trusted, and he believed that the next time he found himself face to face with a sorcerer, he would kill them without a second thought. But this was _Merlin _for crying out loud!

Merlin was clearly very powerful with magic, and yet he was scared of what Arthur was about to do? Even though he knew that Merlin was now an enemy, he still couldn't believe it. Part of him wanted to hate Merlin more than anything, but he still couldn't understand how Merlin could have magic, how he could have lied to him. Merlin had magic, shouldn't that mean that he would want to kill him? And yet he had protected him. Why?

He slowly turned back to look at Merlin, to ask his question aloud, and immediately froze in panic.

"Merlin, look out!" he yelled, starting forwards.

Merlin tried to turn around in confusion, but found he only got halfway around before he realized why Arthur had shouted. Arthur froze as the unthinkable happened, making him drop in sword in shock.

One of the bandits stood next to Merlin, still holding the dagger that he had just forced into Merlin's stomach.

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><p><strong>SORRY! PLEASE don't kill me! No pitch forks! I promise that the next chapter will be up soon.<strong>

**In the mean time, please tell me what you thought :D**

**Xx**


	9. Bandit Attack III

**Soz about the delay, stupid internet decided to screw up - one minute im connected the next there is no such thing as wireless internet - or otherwise apparently! Absolutely stupid, if a laptop connects to the internet, it should stay connected until the damn thing is turned off :( I want to hit the stupid box sometimes! **

**Okaydokey, rant over, and here is the last part to Bandit Attack, hope this was worth the wait. There's a humorous one coming next :D**

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><p><strong>Last time...<strong>

_Impossible_'_ Arthur thought his mouth opening in shock, and his eyes wide...__He saw Merlin standing silent, he wasn't even going to deny it, he couldn't...__Merlin had used magic..._

_"Merlin, look out!" he yelled, starting forwards...Merlin tried to turn around in confusion, but found he only got halfway around before he realized why Arthur had shouted. Arthur froze as the unthinkable happened, making him drop in sword in shock..._

_One of the bandits stood next to Merlin, still holding the dagger that he had just forced into Merlin's stomach..._

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><p>Arthur stood frozen, feeling like his heart had suddenly stopped at the sight he saw. Merlin stood facing the bandit, eyes wide and unblinking, shoulders hunched up in pain. The bandit laughed as Merlin took hold of the dagger, but did not remove it. He saw Merlin open his mouth as if to say something, but couldn't find the words. He was in shock at what had happened.<p>

As the man backed away, with a final sneer in Arthur's direction, he ran through the woods and was away. It took all of Arthur's strength not to go running after him and cut him down where he stood for harming Merlin, but he knew that Merlin needed him. He knew what the bandit looked like; he would be easy enough to hunt down.

Instead, Arthur ran towards Merlin, just as his friend closed his eyes and collapsed forwards. He caught him just in time, turning him over on to his back, holding him up in his arms.

"Merlin…? Merlin, stay with me, you're going to be fine…" he heard himself say.

Merlin didn't need to look to know what the bandit had done. He could feel the pain; feel the life leaking out of him like the blood from his wound. He opened his mouth automatically to call for Arthur, but no words came, they got caught in his throat, along with the oxygen. He couldn't breathe without pain passing through him.

Seeing the bandit leave, Merlin finally felt himself falling, closing his eyes to let the darkness take him, but no sooner had he felt warm arms wrap themselves around him, holding him tight. Then he heard a voice. Arthur.

"Merlin…? Merlin, stay with me, you're going to be fine…"

He opened his eyes to see the young blond holding him up, an unfamiliar look of worry clearly shown on his face. Merlin wondered at Arthur's words. Why was he trying to help? Arthur hated him; he was going to kill him wasn't he? Merlin didn't see any reason to stay, Arthur would hand him over to his father, and his fate would be the same. He found himself closing his eyes once more, only to feel Arthur shake him gently, forcing him to reopen his eyes.

"Don't you dare…Merlin, don't you dare…" Arthur ordered, but his voice was shaky.

"Arthur…sorry…for lying…" Merlin tried to explain, but pain kept preventing him from saying much more.

"Don't talk, Merlin, you'll only use up your energy. I know that might be hard, considering you never shut up. But please, just this one time, do as you're told" Arthur said, smiling weakly.

He was rewarded with Merlin smiling softly back.

"You know that you'd need a miracle to shut me up, Arthur…" he replied, still smiling.

Arthur shook his head, even when close to death; Merlin never lost his sense of humour. He turned to look at the dagger which was still dug into Merlin's stomach.

"Merlin, I'm sorry, but I need to get the dagger out if I'm going to stop the bleeding…."

"I know…" Merlin replied, obviously not looking forward to its removal.

Arthur lifted one of his hands away from Merlin's side, and clutched the hilt of the blade. He looked from the blade, and back to Merlin, seeing the warlock watching the sky with a pained look on his face, ready for what was about to happen. Arthur couldn't help but think that that look, that feeling should never be something that Merlin would have to endure.

Arthur took a tighter hold on the dagger, and one quick movement, the blade was removed from Merlin's stomach and was thrown aside, immediately to be replaced by Arthur's hand, keeping pressure on the wound.

Suddenly hearing feet rushing towards him, Arthur looked around and saw his five trusted knights running down the hill and towards the two fallen men. Gwaine and Lancelot were the first two to kneel down beside Arthur and his injured warlock. The others chose to stand around them.

"What happened? How did-Merlin-are you?" Gwaine started.

"One of the bandits – he took him by surprise…" Arthur explained.

"Come on, we need to get wound attended to, and get back to Camelot" Leon ordered.

Arthur let Leon and Gwaine take Merlin from him, and move him under the trees and out of the rain that was just starting. Elyan, Percival and Lancelot fetched the horses that were running around on the top of the hill, and started searching through their packs for anything that would help with Merlin's wound. Thankfully, Gaius had been his normal nagging self before they had left, and had made sure that Merlin had taken some pain reliving potions with him. They would have to suffice until they reached Camelot.

Only when Arthur stood up to watch the men go about their jobs did he start to recognize where he was. It was the same clearing that Merlin had taken him to when they had been chased by bandits the year before. Right around the time that Morgana had fallen down those stairs and had nearly died. Now both Arthur and Merlin had been brought to this place when they were injured. He didn't know what to do. He looked around the camp, unaware of anything he could do to help. He needed to know if Merlin was okay.

He walked over to where Merlin was lying, Gwaine now being the one to keep the pressure on the knife wound, while Leon searched through the bags for something that he could use as a bandage. Eventually, they had managed to bandage the wound up, and the bleeding seemed to slow down. Arthur silently sent his thanks to his men for their fast actions.

Merlin turned to Arthur as he knelt down beside him again.

"Arthur…"

"What did I say about talking, Merlin?" Arthur said, softly.

Merlin laughed weakly. "Since when do I do as I'm told?"

Arthur laughed slightly in reply. He noticed that Merlin had gone ever paler, and his eyes seemed to be getting less focused on the things around him. He looked up, and was surprised to see that only two of the horses were missing. Gwaine and Lancelot came back over to Arthur to help him get Merlin onto one of the horses. Only then did Arthur get up behind Merlin, making sure he wouldn't fall of the horse. Elyan shared a horse with Lancelot, and the seven men took off towards Camelot as fast as they could.

When he saw the gates of Camelot, Arthur thought he'd never been happier to see them. Merlin had fallen unconscious on the way there, and Arthur had to keep checking to see if he was still breathing. Elyan, Lancelot and Percival and ridden on ahead, to warn Gaius, and arriving in the courtyard, Arthur saw two guards with a stretcher ready to carry Merlin up to the Physician's rooms. Arthur immediately followed them up, helping them by holding open doors. He left the knights to take care of the horses.

Gaius had inspected the wound, and then when straight over to the table to collect new bandages, but Arthur didn't miss the look in his eyes when he looked at the injury, and the blood that was starting to flow from it again.

"Gaius? Will he be okay?" Arthur asked, knowing that Gaius wouldn't lie – he always gave a straightforward answer when it came to injuries.

"I do not know. The blade has not managed to pierce any major organs, but it was very deep. Thankfully not deep enough to cause any lasting damage, but if he loses much more blood, that could be enough to kill him" the physician replied.

Arthur could tell that this was hard on him too. Merlin was practically a son to the man. He knew that he wouldn't be the only one to be affected if Merlin were to die. Lancelot and Gwaine were also very close to the young man. Sometimes Arthur thought that the only reason those two had stayed after the whole saving Camelot event was because of Merlin. He knew that they had sworn to protect him and Camelot – they were knights, after all – but he also knew that if Merlin's life was on the line, they would show more loyalty towards their closest friend. Arthur didn't even deserve to be called Merlin's friend. He was a King now. Kings were not allowed to be friends with servants. Besides, he had never treated Merlin the way he should treat a friend – he was always insulting him. He just hoped Merlin knew that he never meant any of those insults to go to heart – they were all just in fun.

Arthur had sat by Merlin's bedside for three days, not leaving for anything. He had servants bring him his food to Gaius' chambers, and had slept on the mattress that he had another servant bring up into the room.

He didn't care about how certain members of the council thought that, as King, he should not be hanging around the sickbed of a _servant_. His true council members, the ones that he trusted with his life, were the ones whose opinions mattered to him – the ones who fought along him when Morgana had taken over. Even if they hadn't approved, Arthur would still be there, beside the one person he trusted above all others, despite the fact that that one person was an all-powerful sorcerer.

Merlin's health seemed to only be getting worse. Over the past few days, Merlin hadn't woken up once, and Arthur was starting to think that he'd never get to tell Merlin that he didn't care about his magic. What if Merlin died before Arthur could tell him? What if he died thinking that he had hated him because of it?

Arthur sat in his seat and hid his face behind his hands, leaning forwards on his elbows. He was alone in the room, besides Merlin that is.

"Ar…thur…"

Arthur jumped at the sound of Merlin's voice, leaning towards his manservant.

"Merlin? Merlin, come on, wake up…"

'_Come on, Merlin, you need to wake up…_I_ need you to wake up…'_

Arthur smiled with pure joy when Merlin's eyes fluttered open.

"Arthur? W-What happened?" Merlin managed to croak out.

"You…You were an idiot, as usual" Arthur smiled.

Merlin smiled slightly, before looking around, thinking about what had happened. He couldn't really remember it yet – it all seemed too fuzzy. Then it hit him. He had used magic. In front of Arthur. Magic. He turned back to look at Arthur, the fear in his eyes more obvious than the pain that he was still feeling at that moment.

"Arthur, I swear…I've never-".

"It's okay, Merlin. I've had a while to think about it – your magic, I mean. I wouldn't hurt you because of something like that, Merlin, I thought you knew me better than that…"

"You had just declared your hatred for everything that magic had ever come into contact with, what was I supposed to think?" Merlin replied quickly, before he had had a chance to stop himself.

Arthur took a moment to think over Merlin's words. "You're right, after what I'd said I'm surprised you never turned against Camelot…".

"I would never do that, Arthur, no matter what happened….Wait, did you just admit that I was right about something?"

"Don't get used to it; I won't make a habit of it. But you are going to tell me everything. Including every time you've used magic. I can already think of a few times. Can't believe how obvious it is".

"Yeah, well you were never exactly the sharpest tool in the box, Arthur" Merlin replied.

"And we're back to normal. Somehow, despite now being the King, you've only gotten worse in showing respect".

"Someone needs to keep you in line…"

Arthur laughed at Merlin's comment, making Merlin laugh too.

"I better go fetch Gaius. You just yell if you're in pain, okay? I'll be right back" Arthur finished, walking towards the door.

Suddenly Merlin cried out in pain, making Arthur turn back around and rush to Merlin's side.

"What is it? What's wrong?".

To his complete shock, Merlin started laughing.

"Just testing" he chuckled. "You said 'yell', I wanted to make sure that it would work".

Arthur shook his head, laughing as he continued out the door to find the physician, knowing that everything was going to turn out fine.

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><p><strong>Reviews:<strong>

**MamzelleHermy - **How could I ever kill our Merlin? Although saying that, I'll probably end up writing a one-shot where he dies, at some point - who knows? :D Glad you liked Arthur's POV - and a little surprised, didn't think I'd managed it that well :) Thanks for the review!

**cooking-ninja18 - **hope i didn't keep you waiting too long! how could i ever resist puppy eyes? XD :D thanks for the review! :D

**CANDi - **sorry about the long wait, stupid internet's been playing up all week! :( at least it's up now, right? *puppy eyes* hehe thanks for the review! :D

**poplip - **I know, I hate leaving cliffhangers, but I just can't help but write them sometimes - its a weakness :D thanks for the review! :D

**TeganL74 - **thanks! really happy to hear that people liked it, despite that mean cliffie of mine :D thanks again! really thought I'd screwed up Arthur's POV stuff :) thanks again for the review! :D

**Princess Aryana of Camelot - **hehe, i know - so mean to leave people with that cliffie! but here's the next part! :D hope it was just as good!

**Xx**


	10. It's Really Not That Funny

**What a brilliant response! Thanks to everyone, as well as the beautiful cookies and ice cream - or whichever your fav desert/treat is :D**

**Okaydoke here's the next instalment - the humorous one (or at least I hope it is) :D**

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><p>Arthur sat at his desk, trying to concentrate on the papers in front of him. He always found this paperwork boring, and he still had a speech to write. He was starting to wonder if he could get Merlin to write it for him, when said warlock knocked on his door, and entered slowly.<p>

"Merlin? Why did you knock? What's wrong?" Arthur started.

"Why would something be wrong?" Merlin started, bringing up a fake smile.

"Because every time you knock, something has always gone wrong, or you're worried about something. Like the time you were going to the Isle of the Blessed, or the time when Ealdor was being raided by Kanan, or the time you came to tell me about your magic, or when Kilgharrah told you that Aithusa went missing, or-".

"Yes, okay, I get the point, Arthur" Merlin interrupted, rolling his eyes. But he didn't explain further, he stood looking slightly sheepish until Arthur decided to wait no longer.

"Well, what is it?"

"Um…well…it's sort of hard to explain…well, no it's not really, and it's just…"

"Out with it, Merlin"

"Okay, um…Gwaine decided that it would be a good idea to, um, surprise me and, um, I may have, err…"

At that moment, a goat, with a bell on its collar pushed passed Merlin, and into Arthur's chambers. The goat started looking between Merlin and Arthur, an annoyed look on its face. A look that was too human for anyone to believe that it was really a goat. Arthur stood up, connecting the dots about what Merlin was saying.

"Please tell me you didn't…"

"It was an accident -, I don't even know how-, Gaius isn't here -, I don't -, I can't - I don't know what to do!" Merlin stuttered, waving his hands about like he was a mad man.

He turned away from the goat, and looked back at Arthur.

Arthur looked blankly at Merlin for a moment, before bursting out with laughter.

"Arthur…It's not…funny…" Merlin said, trying to hide a smile.

Then he couldn't help it, he started laughing too.

Poking her head inside the door to Arthur's chambers, Gwen heard the laughter before she saw the two boys practically doubling over with laughter, holding onto their stomachs from laughing so much.

She had to look twice before she realized that yes, there was a goat in the room, which was now pushing passed her in order to get into the hall with a rather irked look on its face. Thinking of all the trouble those two caused, she walked away shaking her head, "Boys".

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><p><strong>Reviews:<strong>

**cooking-ninja18 - **Hehe, that look attacks every writer at some point, and they all give in! XD Same here - I wasn't sure how I was going to end it tbh. Thought about killing Merlin cause Arthur's reaction would have been nice (or not so nice) to write, but I just couldn't do it :)

**MerlinsBeardItsTheDoctor - **thanks! good to hear that they aren't a complete fail! lol :D thanks for the review!

**Princess Aryana of Camelot - **thanks! glad to here that :) I always worry that they're going to be completely OOC :D

**MamzelleHermy - **:D thanks! hope this was another good one :D

**foxare - **WOW - thanks a lot! hope the exam went well :) I hate having them, I always do worse in exams than in classroom environments cause i hate the examiners XD they were always breathing down our necks at my school, I just wanted to turn around and say "do you want to do this exam, or shall I? If you do, mind to put my name at the beginning *smile sweetly*" lol XD thanks for the review!

**anonymous**** - **here you go! :) hope this one was actually funny, and not just funny in my own little mind :D

**Thanks again to everyone! :D**

**Xx**


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